Superstar!

Meet cover artist Brett Superstar (yes, that's his legal name)

The steps to legally changing a surname are as follows: Put a public notice in a newspaper to prove you're not trying to escape debt, warrants, bookies, ex-wives, etc., provide a reasonable excuse to a judge (something like, you're an artist and the name recognition might help to boost sales) and cough up $200. That's how this month's cover artist became Brett Superstar, and the Portland-based painter said the name change was driven equally by comedy and artistry.

"It's really good at the DMV when you're surrounded by people at 7 am, and everyone is miserable and someone walks out of the backroom and says, 'Superstar?' and you say, 'That's me,'" said Superstar in an interview with the Source.

Source Weekly: Do you have a day job? Or are you all art all the time?

Brett Superstar: I do artwork almost all day long. When I'm not, I work a freelance job at an animation studio called Bent Image Lab. I do everything from character design to painting sets. I get to paint three-dimensional structures and design themes and landscapes, I've also done storyboarding there. The crew there are the most creative people I've ever worked with.

SW: Have you ever had any of your characters (like the rabbit on the cover) come to life through the animation gig?

BS: There are two spots for a Germany driven company called Tetra Pak. They make sustainable recyclable containers, milk containers and the soup that comes in a box, they design those. I think there are about 10 characters I designed for those commercials. I got to do a rabbit and a hippo, some lemurs and a scientist elk. (Watch the commercial on the Source's Bent Blog.)

SW: What is your typical medium? Canvas? Wood?

BS: Acrylic on wood. For me, it's usually free because I dumpster dive or someone says, 'I have a bunch of wood, do you want it?' It travels well, it ships easier than canvas, and if I do any art sales or craft sales, I stack my paintings. It's a lot more forgiving when they're canvas.

SW: Did you watch "Bugs Bunny" as a kid?

BS: Yes. I actually get the jokes now. Later in life "Ren and Stimpy" put its hooks in me

SW: Tell me about the piece of art on the cover?

BS: That one was a commission for someone who had seen a previous piece and wanted something similar. Just having the little bird on his head, the charm is irresistible. I'm a total bird nerd. I have bird feeders, and bird tattoos. Birds and animals have always been an art.

Then there was the "Portlandia" phenomenon of put a bird on it. A lot of people don't realize that birds have always been in art. You find weird stuff kicking around at the thrift store and there are birds everywhere. I only had bad feelings about it when I was hearing the joke too much, but I got to do some design work for "Portlandia." That's what I love, they can come into town and hire all my friends and keep them employed. That's great.